


Gold

by Aniimone



Series: Metal [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Sparring, Suits, Travel, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-10 22:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12309552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniimone/pseuds/Aniimone
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke are in their second year of college. Naruto is using the alias Naruto Namikaze, while Sasuke is calling himself Sasuke Hatake. The two former assassins have stayed in touch since faking their deaths and taking out one of the leading crime bosses in the world, a man who had hired them to kill each other. Over time, their relationship has strengthened, despite the distance. Even when a reminder of their old lives comes back to haunt them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So here's the sequel to _Silver_! Enjoy~

“Yeah, right, sure he’s your boyfriend,” Kiba teases, looking at the picture of an attractive, dark-haired, pale-skinned young man Naruto is holding up on his phone.

“He is! What do I have to do to convince you, -ttebayo?!” Naruto exclaims, locking his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

“Have him come visit,” Shikamaru suggests, sitting on top of the table.

“I’ve told you, he lives in Japan! I can’t just ask him to buy a one-thousand dollar ticket to come here and make him share my tiny bed with Kiba’s snoring!” Naruto says.

“Well then, sorry, but we can’t believe he’s stuck with your sorry ass the last two years,” Kiba tells him. “Especially since he’s supposedly so far away.”

“It’s two and a half, and yes you can,” Naruto tells him.

“Have you two even kissed? If you really are dating. Or did you meet on some shady dating website? I bet you he’s some fat old Japanese salaryman,” Kiba says.

“Guys, leave Naruto alone, I’m sure he has good taste in men,” Tenten interrupts.

“Naruto, how did you meet him?” Hinata asks.

“I went on a trip,” Naruto replies simply.

“What kind of trip?” Lee prompts.

“Guys, you know he doesn’t like talking about his past,” Ino scolds them.

“Doesn’t stop us from wanting to know,” Kiba retorts.

Just then, Naruto’s phone starts to ring. He sees the caller ID and startles when he realizes that it’s Sasuke. He excuses himself from his friends and steps away to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Naruto. It’s been a while,” Sasuke replies, same silky deep voice that sends shivers up Naruto’s back.

“Yeah, it has. I was just trying to prove your existence to my friends, actually. How are you?” Naruto asks, glancing back at his friends who are now laughing at a story Kiba is telling.

“I’m fine. I wanted to see if you’d like to meet up some time,” Sasuke says.

“Uh, yeah, definitely. When and where?” Naruto asks.

“Somewhere near you. My spring break starts next week and I’ve been thinking about you,” Sasuke tells him.

“Oh,” Naruto replies. “Yeah, do you, uh… want to room with me? We’d have to share a twin bed and my roommate’s snores might wake you up, but I’d be kind of a sucky boyfriend if I didn’t offer.”

He can practically hear Sasuke smirking on the other end.

“I’d love to. Can you pick me up from the airport on Saturday or should I take a taxi?” Sasuke asks.

“I can give you a ride. Hope you don’t mind a slightly beat up Corolla. I’ve been using my savings to pay for college,” Naruto claims.

“I understand. I’ll send you the details on my flight. See you soon,” Sasuke says.

He hangs up and Naruto does the same, stunned. He walks back over to sit down with his friends again.

“Naruto, are you okay?” Shikamaru asks, noticing his awed expression.

Naruto grins at his friends.

“You wanted a chance to meet my boyfriend, and you’re getting it. He’s flying in on Saturday. Kiba, he’s staying with us,” Naruto says.

Hinata covers her mouth with her hands, Kiba’s eyes widen, Shikamaru laughs, and Lee pumps his fist. Naruto’s phone notifies him of a new email and he sees that it’s Sasuke’s flight info. He smiles and puts his phone down again.

~+~+~+~+~

Three days later, Naruto parks in the temporary airport pickup parking and heads inside to wait for Sasuke by baggage claim. He checks the monitor for which carousel Sasuke will go to and stands near it.

“Long time no see,” a deep voice says behind Naruto.

He jumps and turns around, grinning broadly when he recognizes Sasuke. They hug briefly.

“Wow,” Naruto says, looking Sasuke up and down.

Sasuke smirks.

“What?” he asks.

“You look as good as I remember, dattebayo. Maybe better. There’s more expression in your face,” Naruto tells him.

Sasuke’s smirk widens into a small smile and he leans in to peck Naruto’s lips.

“I’ve missed you,” Naruto admits.

“Me too,” Sasuke replies.

The carousel starts moving and Sasuke grabs his suitcase. Naruto takes it for him and they head out to the parking garage. They find Naruto’s car and put the suitcase in the trunk. They climb in and Naruto starts it. The car sputters out of the parking garage and they head toward campus. Naruto turns on a local pop station.

“So, what have you been up to?” he asks.

“Studying, mainly. Turns out law requires a lot of knowledge,” Sasuke replies. “What about you?”

“Same here. Nursing is probably easier to get into than law, but I’m dying under my workload. I did just get accepted into a graduate med school though, so I’m looking forward to that,” Naruto answers. “Any news from your family?”

“My uncle Madara got caught for his serial killings and sentenced to life in prison. He was lucky to escape the death penalty. Almost exposed me, but that mistake cost him his life. I made sure it looked like a suicide,” Sasuke responds.

Naruto’s grip on the steering wheel tightens slightly.

“I thought you said you were done,” he comments, keeping any judgement out of his tone.

“I was. He was my only exception. He could have exposed me, Naruto, I had no choice,” Sasuke replies.

Naruto relaxes slightly and nods.

“Alright. Just… no more, okay? We’re both done. We promised each other,” he says.

“I know,” Sasuke tells him softly.

The rest of their drive is silent except for the radio, but it’s not uncomfortable. Naruto is dying to ask Sasuke more about how he is doing, how his life is going, but he restrains himself, knowing Sasuke must be exhausted from the flight. They pull into one of the parking spaces in front of Naruto’s dorm and get out of his car. They retrieve Sasuke’s suitcase and go into the building. They finally get to Naruto’s room and walk in. Kiba sits up on his bed and pauses the show he was watching on his computer. He whistles lowly when Sasuke enters behind Naruto.

“Man, you were serious. Your boyfriend’s a babe,” Kiba comments.

“I know,” Naruto replies, laughter in his voice.

Sasuke just shoots the brown-haired guy a glance.

“Your room is tiny,” he tells Naruto.

“I warned you,” he replies with a shrug. “You could’ve found some fancy hotel instead, dattebayo.”

Sasuke hums and says, “I’d rather stay with you.”

“I thought so,” Naruto responds, smiling and giving Sasuke another quick kiss.

Kiba groans at the affection.

“If I ever catch the two of you making out, I’ll kick both your asses outside,” he claims.

Naruto laughs and sets Sasuke’s suitcase at the end of his bed.

“You’re probably exhausted and jet-lagged,” he realizes, turning back to his boyfriend.

Sasuke hums, looking at Naruto’s bed.

“I can manage,” he claims. “I’ve been pulling a lot of all-nighters lately.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Naruto replies, smiling crookedly. “So, do you want to go grab something to eat? There’s a really nice cafe nearby that sells sandwiches too, and they give student discounts.”

“Alright,” Sasuke says, looking back at Naruto.

“Kiba, please do not go through Sasuke’s belongings,” Naruto tells his roommate.

“Alright, fine,” Kiba mutters. “Have fun, you two. Oh, I think Ino’s studying with Neji down at the Midnight Cafe right now.”

“Thanks, I’m sure they’d love to meet Sasuke,” Naruto responds.

He takes Sasuke’s hand and leads him back outside.

“Do you mind walking? It’s not that far,” he says.

“That’s fine,” Sasuke replies.

They interlace their fingers and start to walk towards the shop Naruto mentioned. When they enter, he waves to a blonde girl in a purple crop top and a boy with long brown hair and pale brown eyes.

“Hey! How’s it going?” Naruto asks them, striding towards them and pulling Sasuke with him.

“Naruto, oh my god, is this your mythical boyfriend?” Ino asks, looking at Sasuke. “He’s gorgeous. Sasuke, would you please let me do your makeup sometime while you’re here?”

“Sasuke, no! She’s too good! She’ll find some way to make you even prettier and I think that might kill me,” Naruto pleads, looking at his boyfriend.

Sasuke smirks that same arrogant smirk as always.

“All the more reason to do it. Maybe then I can finally find someone who deserves me,” he says.

“Why you-- Bastard!” Naruto snaps.

Ino laughs.

“Naruto, is that really any way to talk to your boyfriend?” Neji teases, smirking.

Sasuke decides he likes Neji.

“You are the worst, Neji. I’d kick your ass if Tenten wouldn’t come after me for it,” Naruto retorts.

“So you’re scared of my girlfriend?” Neji asks, raising a delicate eyebrow.

“Absolutely. She could kick anyone’s ass. Have you seen her knife collection? She told me that’s just a portion of her favorites,” Naruto says.

Neji smiles fondly into the distance and Sasuke briefly wonders if Naruto somehow managed to make a bunch of psychopath friends.

“Come on, Sasuke, let’s go get something to eat,” Naruto suggests, pulling him towards the front counter.

Sasuke follows obediently. They order two sandwiches, a green tea for Sasuke, and a strawberry smoothie for Naruto. They sit down with Neji and Ino while they wait for their order.

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Ino admits.

“That’s strange, because I’ve heard almost nothing about you,” Sasuke replies, casting Naruto a sidelong glance.

“Hey, whose fault is it that we haven’t been talking as much lately?” Naruto snaps.

“Yours, obviously,” Sasuke retorts, smirking again.

Naruto huffs indignantly.

“Bastard,” he says.

“Usuratonkachi,” Sasuke replies.

“Asshole.”

“Dobe.”

Ino interrupts their little argument.

“Sasuke, Naruto said you’re from Japan, but you are obviously fluent in English,” she says.

“I used to travel a lot,” he explains.

“Why is that?” she asks.

Sasuke glances at Naruto, whose mouth is set in a line.

“No particular reason,” Sasuke lies easily.

“Jeez, you two are just alike,” Ino complains.

Naruto smiles and takes Sasuke’s hand again.

“So, what are you majoring in?” Sasuke asks them.

“Beauty and cosmetics,” Neji answers.

“Yep,” Ino replies. “We’re reviewing for a quiz in chemistry in a few days.”

Sasuke hums his acknowledgement.

“What about you?” Ino asks.

“Law,” he answers.

“Wow,” Neji responds, actually sounding impressed.

“Damn it, you’ve made the Hyuuga like you, what happened to that insufferable jerk I met two and a half years ago?” Naruto complains.

Sasuke smirks at him.

“You did,” he says smoothly.

Naruto blushes and stammers out a response. Ino laughs again, and Neji smiles. They finish their sandwiches quickly and Naruto takes their plates up to the dish counter for them. Then he returns to his seat and continues drinking his smoothie.

“So, how did you two meet?” Ino asks.

“I’ve told you, I was on a trip in Boston!” Naruto snaps, both reminding his friends and telling Sasuke the cover story.

“Then, why were you in Boston, Sasuke?” she asks.

“The same as Naruto, on a trip,” he replies.

“Ugh, you’re the worst!” she exclaims. “Why won’t you tell me anything about yourselves. Naruto, you are one of my best friends and I barely know you.”

Naruto laughs and scratches the back of his neck with his free hand, the other one holding Sasuke’s.

He and Sasuke eventually finish off their drinks and say goodbye to Ino and Neji. Then Naruto says he wants to take Sasuke somewhere. Sasuke lets him lead him down the Library Walk and into a park. They sit on a bench and hold hands with the early-afternoon sunlight streaming through the trees overhead.

“Sasuke, thank you for coming here,” Naruto says, looking at him.

Sasuke smiles softly.

“Don’t get all sappy on me just because you haven’t seen me in almost three years,” he replies, but his tone is gentle.

Naruto laughs breathlessly and stares into Sasuke’s eyes. Sasuke stares back, smiling slightly. They lean together and slowly press their lips together, closing their eyes as they do. This kiss is like their first, gentle and slow, nothing behind it but love towards each other. A breeze blows Sasuke’s hair around and he pulls back with a quiet chuckle.

“It’s gotten pretty long,” Naruto comments, brushing Sasuke’s bangs aside.

“Should I cut it?” Sasuke asks.

Naruto shakes his head and says, “No, it looks good. Maybe just tie it back sometimes or something, dattebayo.”

Sasuke hums and kisses Naruto again. Naruto runs his hand through Sasuke’s silky hair, pushing it out of the way and keeping it there. He is grateful that the park is empty today. They break apart again after what feels like forever and smile at each other.

“I wish I could show you around town some more, but we’ve only got today and tomorrow. I got all of my weekend homework done yesterday and this morning,” Naruto says.

“If you’d like, you could give me a list of places to visit, maybe a map, and I could see them for myself. Of course, it won’t be the same without you,” Sasuke replies.

“That’s a great idea, -ttebayo! But tomorrow, I’m taking you to see the cherry blossoms,” he claims.

“Good. I’m interested in those,” Sasuke admits.

Naruto laughs and kisses him again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy boyfriend, delicious breakfast, and sparring matches. What more could Naruto want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dolcezza is a real place and it is amazing, I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in Dupont Circle in D.C. All the places I write about in that city are real. I used to live there.

Naruto and Sasuke return to Naruto’s dorm room and Sasuke takes a shower in the floor bathroom. He comes back to Naruto and Kiba’s room looking mildly disgusted and wearing jeans with a black t-shirt.

“Americans have significantly lower hygiene standards than those of us in Japan,” he says simply.

Naruto laughs sheepishly and scratches the back of his neck, apologizing. Kiba snickers at him.

“Dude, you’ve got it bad,” he comments.

“Shut up, Kiba,” Naruto hisses, throwing a pillow at him.

Sasuke smirks. It seems Naruto’s ability to be subtle has declined since he quit.

Sasuke takes a seat on Naruto’s bed. Naruto sits down beside him and picks up his computer, setting it on his lap. He opens a new word document and starts typing a list of places. At the top of the list, he writes “Places Sasuke Needs to See”.

“Okay, so since we’re in the Nation’s Capital, there are a lot of places you should check out, but I’m narrowing it down to like my top ten so you don’t get overloaded. I know you don’t like crowds, but that’s kind of unavoidable here. I put the Holocaust Museum on this list because that’s just something you need to see. There’s so much information there. Did you know they put anyone who was gay in concentration camps too? It’s insane,” Naruto tells him. “The Washington Monument is big, you have to see that too. No building is allowed to be taller than it in this city, so you can usually see it from anywhere. You don’t really need to climb up in it, the real view is looking up from the bottom. We can do that tomorrow, when I take you to see the cherry blossoms. Ooh, and there’s this really awesome coffee shop in Dupont Circle we need to go to, called _Dolcezza_. They have gelato too, and their pastries are so good. We can do that tomorrow too.”

Sasuke hums and leans his head on Naruto’s shoulder. He decides to rest his eyes for a moment while Naruto keeps talking. Naruto stops talking when he realizes that Sasuke had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He looks over at him and smiles softly. Kiba grins wolfishly at him.

“You are in so deep, man,” Kiba stage-whispers.

“God, I know,” Naruto sighs.

Sasuke wakes up a few hours later lying down under the garish orange blankets on Naruto’s bed. He looks up and sees Naruto sitting on the edge of the mattress, typing and looking down at his computer stoically. Sasuke, still half-asleep, hums as he watches Naruto. Naruto hears him and turns his head, his fingers stilling over the keyboard. He smiles softly and tells Sasuke to go back to sleep.

Sasuke glances outside to find the sky already dark. Kiba is asleep in his bed and Sasuke asks Naruto what time it is.

“About midnight. Kiba’s usually the type to stay up late and sleep in until noon, but I guess he got bored,” Naruto responds.

Sasuke sits up.

“You should sleep,” he says.

Naruto glances back at his computer screen.

“I was just writing an essay due next week, but I will when I finish it,” he assures Sasuke. “I’m already on the last paragraph.”

Sasuke hums and lies back down, keeping his eyes open to watch Naruto. After about ten minutes, Naruto saves the document and closes his laptop. He puts it on his desk and climbs under the covers, facing Sasuke with their bodies as far apart as the twin bed will allow. Naruto is already wearing sweatpants and a soft t-shirt, so he decides not to change. Sasuke closes his eyes again, tucking one arm under his head. He feels Naruto press a soft kiss to his forehead before he falls back asleep.

~+~+~+~+~

In the morning, Sasuke wakes up tucked into Naruto’s side, his head on Naruto’s arm, which is wrapped around his shoulders. He blinks awake in the soft morning light and sneaks one arm across Naruto’s chest, pulling him in closer. Naruto smiles in his sleep and turns his head to the side, towards the wall at Sasuke’s back.

Sasuke waits a few more minutes before he moves. He kisses Naruto on the cheek and watches Naruto slowly open his eyes and look over at him. Naruto smiles sleepily and Sasuke smiles back softly.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Naruto greets.

“Morning, sunshine,” Sasuke replies.

“What time is it?” Naruto asks, yawning.

Sasuke yawns too and looks at the electric clock on Naruto’s desk.

“7:34,” he reads.

Naruto hums and looks up at his ceiling.

“Did Kiba’s snoring wake you up at all?” he asks.

“No,” Sasuke replies.

“Good. I would’ve beat him up if he had,” Naruto promises.

Sasuke smirks.

“Really?” he asks softly.

“Mmhm,” Naruto hums.

They kiss and Kiba groans, chucking a pillow at them.

“Can’t you let me sleep and save the couple-y stuff for later?” he complains.

Naruto laughs and apologizes.

He and Sasuke get up and get dressed for the day. Naruto insists on getting breakfast at the coffee shop in Dupont circle first, so they hop on a bus and get to the nearest Metro station, since Georgetown doesn’t have one. They buy Sasuke a temporary Metro card and board a train. They get off at the Dupont Circle station and walk down the street. They step into the small coffee shop and step in line. They order two lattes, one with extra cream for Naruto, two cheese and bacon croissants, and Naruto pays. They stand off to the side to wait.

When they have their drinks and food, they sit down at the counter in front of the window overlooking the street. Sasuke takes a sip of his latte and hums with satisfaction. Naruto grins at him.

“Is it good?” he asks.

Sasuke nods and bites into the croissant. That is delicious too. He glances up at Naruto, who takes a sip of his own latte and smacks his lips happily. Sasuke smirks and shakes his head slightly, going back to staring out the window at the people who pass.

“Do you ever feel like a fraud? Blending in with normal people like this,” Sasuke asks quietly.

Naruto glances at him.

“Not particularly. Do you?”

Sasuke hums noncommittally.

“I’m still adjusting,” he admits.

“Yeah. Well, we’ve both been pretty thoroughly messed up,” Naruto comments.

Sasuke doesn’t believe that needs a response. 

Eventually, they finish their breakfast and set their dishes in the basket near the bathroom. Then they leave.

Naruto takes Sasuke back to the Circle and they look through the farmer’s market happening there. They don’t buy anything, but they enjoy walking around and just being in each other’s company.

After a while, they go back to the Metro station and board another train. This time they go to the Smithsonian stop. They browse through the museum for a couple of hours. Then they start to walk down the National Mall towards the Washington Monument. They hold hands the entire way.

Naruto kisses Sasuke at the base of the monument.

Sasuke kisses Naruto on the river’s edge as they stand beneath the cherry blossoms.

They kiss each other after lunch.

They spend the rest of the afternoon talking on the steps in front of the Lincoln Monument. Sasuke’s feet ache, he is exhausted, and his skin feels burned, but he has never been happier.

“Naruto, thanks. For today,” Sasuke says, leaning his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Naruto chuckles and squeezes his hand. For a moment he wonders if he can say the words that have been on his mind for so long.

“Sasuke, I… I should be the one thanking you.”

‘Not yet,’ he thinks. ‘It’s still too early.’

“I mean, you flew all the way out here to see me, and I can’t even spend every day with you. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he continues.

Sasuke huffs a laugh and closes his eyes.

“Usuratonkachi,” he mutters.

Naruto chuckles again and leans his head on Sasuke’s.

~+~+~+~+~

Naruto goes back to class the next day, but he tells Sasuke to come find him and his friends at their usual outdoor table during lunch. At first, Sasuke doesn’t show up, and Lee makes a comment about Sasuke not being real again. Just when Naruto is about to sigh and give up, he hears a familiar deep voice behind him.

“Yo, usuratonkachi.”

He jumps and turns around.

“Jeez, Sasuke! Quit scaring me like that, dattebayo!” Naruto snaps as Sasuke sits down beside him, smirking.

“Where would be the fun in that, scaredy cat?” Sasuke replies.

“Scaredy-- Why, you--”

“Naruto, is this your boyfriend?” Tenten interrupts.

He cools down and looks at her.

“Oh, yeah. Everyone, meet Sasuke. Sasuke, you’ve already met Ino, Neji, and Kiba. That’s Tenten, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, Lee, and Shino,” Naruto introduces.

“Of course you have a ton of friends,” Sasuke mutters, leaning into Naruto’s side.

Naruto laughs and wraps his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders.

“Oh, come on bastard, don’t you have friends too?” he asks.

“Yes,” Sasuke replies. “Their names are Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu.”

“Karin?” Naruto asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Karin Uzumaki,” Sasuke says.

He gives Naruto a pointed look.

“U… zu… maki…”

Sasuke nods almost imperceptibly. Naruto gulps.

“Naruto, does that name mean something to you?” Hinata asks softly.

“Er, well, not exactly,” he replies sheepishly. “It’s just that… Nevermind, it’s nothing, dattebayo.”

“Come on, we’re so close to learning part of your mysterious backstory!” Tenten prompts.

“Please?” Hinata pleads, putting her hands together.

“Oh, alright,” he replies. “My mother’s name was Kushina of the Uzumaki clan.”

“Was?” Shikamaru catches.

Naruto winces.

“Say, what are you drinking Ino?” he asks casually, trying to change the subject.

She startles for a moment before catching on and telling him it’s iced tea. Naruto manages to start a new conversation about iced tea, which Sasuke argues strongly does not count as real tea. Before long, their group is splitting up for their afternoon lectures.

“I’ll see you later, Sasuke,” Naruto tells his boyfriend.

Sasuke hums his agreement and they kiss before Naruto walks away, waving over his shoulder and smiling brightly. Sasuke waves back and starts walking back to Naruto’s dorm room for now.

“He seems like a decent guy,” Kiba comments, on his way to biology with Naruto.

Naruto beams and looks over his shoulder at Sasuke.

“Yeah,” he responds. “As decent as I am, anyway.”

Kiba snorts and Naruto looks at him.

“Dude, you’re super annoying, he’s like… the coolest guy I’ve ever met. Besides myself,” Kiba says.

“Hey!” Naruto snaps.

~+~+~+~+~

Sasuke finds it endlessly hilarious how Naruto’s friends make fun of him. Of course, he doesn’t burst out laughing, but he’ll smirk or smile slightly. When he joins in on making fun of his boyfriend, Naruto’s friends always end up howling with laughter. At one point, Sasuke made a comment that prompted Shino to slide a chilled water bottle across the table, saying, “It looks like Naruto could use this.”

On Thursday, Naruto asks when Sasuke is going home.

“My flight leaves next Saturday. It was in the information I sent you,” Sasuke replies, frowning slightly.

Naruto laughs and scratches the back of his neck, a nervous habit Sasuke has noticed.

“See, well, I didn’t read the whole thing,” Naruto admits.

Sasuke sighs. They’re walking through campus after Naruto’s final afternoon lecture. They get back to Naruto and Kiba’s dorm and sit down cross-legged on Naruto’s bed, facing each other.

“Hey Sasuke, do you want to go out drinking tomorrow night?” Naruto asks.

Kiba isn’t in the room.

“Sure,” Sasuke replies. “Are any of your friends of age?”

“No, they’re all nineteen or twenty,” Naruto tells him.

Sasuke nods.

“I’m assuming none of them know?” he asks.

Naruto looks down at the edge of his bed.

“Yeah. Can’t really blend in if all your friends know you’re 25,” he says. “Man, Kiba has already tried convincing me to figure out how to get us fake IDs so we can get into clubs. He doesn’t even know I can already do that!”

Naruto laughs. Sasuke smiles at him fondly.

“Where should we say we’re going afterwards, then?” he asks.

Naruto frowns for a moment.

“I guess we can say we’re going to spend the night in a hotel,” he suggests. “I mean, he’ll make his accusations, but… we don’t have to do anything like that.”

Sasuke’s smile widens slightly.

“Or, we could.”

Naruto’s eyes snap up to look at him.

“Seriously?!” he asks.

Sasuke nods.

“We met two and a half years ago, but we haven’t seen each other in person since your last night at my house. I think we should make up for lost time while we can,” he says.

Naruto grins crookedly.

“Sasuke, you’re the best!” he tells him, tackling Sasuke.

Sasuke lets him, and kisses him back until the door opens and Kiba groans.

Naruto sits up and apologizes, but Sasuke just hums and sits up as well, wrapping his arms around Naruto’s waist and resting his cheek on his boyfriend’s shoulder. One thing Sasuke has noticed is that Naruto smells delicious. Like sunflowers and home. Not the Uchiha house, but an actual home. Hearth, old books, comfortable furniture.

He’s got it bad.

Naruto is telling Kiba that he and Sasuke are going to rent a hotel room tomorrow and Kiba is making lewd jokes. Sasuke smirks at him.

“Sasuke, he’s probably just going to drag you to some musty motel and pressure you into sex. Just give me a call if you need someone to come back you up,” Kiba says.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sasuke assures him. “This was my idea.”

Kiba’s eyes widen and his jaw falls open. Naruto snickers and puts his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders.

“Sorry Kiba, it’s not my fault your girlfriend’s too shy to put out,” Naruto teases.

“Hey, Hinata and I have slept together plenty of times!” Kiba defends.

“Whatever you say, dattebayo.”

Kiba grinds his teeth together but doesn’t retaliate.

Sasuke smirks at the realization that Naruto has at least garnered some respect from his friends. They have been asking Sasuke to spill anything he knows about Naruto’s past since he arrived, but he doesn’t know much. Besides, it’s not his information to tell.

“I’d like to spar with you again,” Sasuke says, lifting his head off Naruto’s shoulder to look at him.

“Sure. I’m not as in shape as last time, though,” Naruto replies. “I mean, I still work out, but… well, you know how it is.”

Sasuke hums.

“We don’t have my dojo either. Is there somewhere we can go?” he asks.

Naruto thinks about it for a minute. Then he nods.

“Do you mind doing it outdoors?” Naruto asks.

“No.”

“Alright. Now?” 

“Let me change, but I’ll be ready soon,” Sasuke replies.

“Wait, you two are just gonna spar? Outside?!” Kiba exclaims.

They look at him blankly.

“Where else should we do it?” Naruto asks.

Kiba’s jaw drops.

“You two are some sort of freaks, I swear. Let me text the guys, I bet they’ll want to see this,” Kiba replies, picking up his phone.

“Alright,” Naruto says. “Sasuke, let’s change. I’ll meet you in front of the building.”

Sasuke nods and gets up. He grabs a pair of workout sweatpants and a t-shirt from his bag and heads out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Naruto is standing about three yards away from Sasuke in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Sasuke ties his hair back and Naruto feels his face heat up slightly. Sasuke gives him a knowing smirk.

Naruto’s friends are gathered around, most of them sitting on the grass. Lee and Tenten are the only other ones standing, both of them watching intently.

Naruto grins.

“Ready, bastard?”

“Any time, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke retorts.

They smirk at each other seconds before they run towards each other. Naruto throws the first hits, a series of punches, which Sasuke blocks and returns with a sweeping kick. Naruto jumps over his leg and tries to jab Sasuke’s stomach. He dodges and ducks Naruto’s next few punches. Then he pops under Naruto’s arms and lands a hit under his jaw.

Naruto stumbles back, dazed by the shot, and Sasuke takes the chance. He knocks Naruto down and holds him there with his knee pressed to Naruto’s chest, fist pulled back. They look into each other’s eyes, panting.

“Nice one,” Naruto comments.

“You let your guard down,” Sasuke replies, getting off and helping Naruto up.

Naruto dusts himself off and settles back into a fighting stance.

“Again,” he requests.

“What, getting your ass kicked once not enough for you?” Sasuke taunts.

Kiba barks a laugh.

“Bastard.”

They fly towards each other again. They start off exchanging quick blows, which eventually turn into slower, more powerful attacks. This match ends in a stalemate, both of them falling into the grass, exhausted after forty minutes.

Naruto sits up and requests another match.

“Seriously? What kind of stamina do you have?!” Sasuke gasps.

“More than you, obviously,” Naruto replies, offering Sasuke his hand.

Sasuke groans and accepts it, getting pulled back to his feet.

“You guys are intense,” Tenten tells them, sounding awed.

They look over at her for a moment. Then they look back at each other before their third match.

Naruto wins, but Sasuke claims it is only because his stamina is monstrous. Naruto just laughs at him and helps him up. They head back inside as the last of their friends disperse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey! Smut!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am _late_ , and I am sorry! School is kicking my ass.

Kiba tells them to be safe as they leave on Friday night. Naruto laughs and starts to give Kiba a graphic description of what Sasuke can only describe as a wet dream of his own. Kiba groans and chucks a shoe at them. Naruto closes the door to block it and they head downtown. They ride the bus and Metro to a nightclub in the center of the city.

They get in with their real IDs and buy drinks at the bar.

“I’ll find us somewhere for tonight,” Sasuke tells Naruto over the music.

Naruto nods.

They stick off to the side for now, and Sasuke pulls out his phone. He finds a hotel just a few blocks away and they agree on it. He rents a room with a King-sized bed. Then Naruto asks him to dance.

Sasuke smirks and sets his empty glass down. He takes Naruto’s hand and they go out onto the dance floor.

They start to dance and Naruto puts his hands on Sasuke’s waist. Sasuke rests his wrists on Naruto’s shoulders, pulling their bodies together so they brush occasionally.

They leave the club around midnight. Sasuke learns that Naruto is a fairly light drinker, and he only has two drinks. Sasuke has three.

They get to the hotel and check in. Sasuke chose a nicer one, and they go up to the room. Naruto swipes the key card and unlocks the door. They go inside and Sasuke takes his shoes off in the doorway out of habit. Naruto smiles and kicks his off. Sasuke scoffs and goes into the bathroom. Naruto checks that he hasn’t lost or given away the last condoms in his wallet.

Sasuke comes out of the bathroom with his hair pulled up into a messy topknot and leans on the doorframe, looking at Naruto. Naruto grins at him. Sasuke smirks and walks over to him, standing next to the bed. Sasuke wraps his hands around Naruto’s waist and looks into his eyes.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

Naruto hums and kisses him, still sober enough to know what he’s doing. The kiss burns and takes Sasuke’s breath away. He gasps and Naruto deepens the kiss instinctively. Sasuke pushes back, never one to give up without a fight. Their mouths are colliding, tongues dancing and exploring, but somehow there is a burning desire underlying the kiss that grows as the seconds stretch on.

Sasuke leans forwards and they land on the bed with a muffled thump, Sasuke pinning Naruto’s hand against the covers lightly. Sasuke can feel Naruto’s arousal between his legs, kneeling over him on the bed with their groins pressed together lightly, their jeans preventing as much friction as they both want, but right now they don’t have the consciousness to break apart and fix that. Instead they keep kissing. Their fingers start moving through each other’s hair and across each other’s body gently, pushing under clothing and tickling, caressing, _touching_. Sasuke hums as Naruto gives a somewhat hard pull on his long dark hair.

Naruto’s lips curl up into a smile and Sasuke breaks the kiss to look into his lover’s eyes. They’re a shade darker than he recalls them ever being, filled with desire. Sasuke is sure his are the same, mirroring the light flush of the cheeks and sultry half-lidded eyes.

“Perverted bastard. You have a hair-pulling kink, don’t you?” Naruto murmurs.

His voice is soft but still teasing and Sasuke retorts with a click of his tongue and a muttered insult before he kisses the idiot again, grinding his hips down to draw a gasp from both of them.

“Clothes,” Naruto suggests breathlessly, barely more than a whisper.

Sasuke grunts his agreement and climbs off. He immediately strips off his jacket, followed by his slim-fitting black t-shirt, and watches Naruto do the same with his hideously orange hoodie and the white t-shirt underneath. Both of them sneak a glance at each other and Naruto grabs Sasuke’s belt loops, pulling him closer by his hips. Naruto looks up at him with that intense blue stare and it takes Sasuke’s breath away, to see Naruto’s desires displayed so clearly in those blue, blue eyes with the tired circles underneath that speak of too many nightmares and a lack of a regular sleep schedule. What Sasuke really appreciates, though, is when Naruto pauses.

“Are you sure?” he asks firmly, because this matters to him, he wants--no, he needs Sasuke to want this as much as he does.

“Yes,” Sasuke breathes, and it’s so much more than just a word.

The corner of Naruto’s mouth twitches up like he’s restraining a smile but then he flattens his palms on Sasuke’s waist, holding him closer. Naruto’s hands withdraw only to land on Sasuke’s zipper and undo it. Sasuke chokes back a moan when Naruto sinks down on him, hot and wet but still not enough. His hand tightens in Naruto’s hair and Naruto hums, taking him in deeply because he has probably done this before, with someone else, but right now that doesn’t matter, what matters is them, here, now.

Sasuke doesn’t even bother restraining the deep moan of pleasure when Naruto pulls back with just a slight drag of his teeth.

Sasuke finishes in probably a record time for him, but somehow it felt like it lasted forever with the way Naruto teased him, giving a full submersion before pulling back and toying with him a few moments and sinking back again.

Once Sasuke recovers his thought process, he strips the rest of the way and orders Naruto to do the same. Naruto obeys with a chuckle and quickly finds himself pinned back to the bed. He gives an almost feral growl and something flashes in his eyes before he flips them over easily and takes Sasuke by storm again. Sasuke goes with it, finding no reason in resistance. In fact, he reaches down and wraps his fingers around Naruto’s cock, rubbing gently and trying to find the perfect amount of pressure. He uses some of Naruto’s beading precum to his advantage. Naruto moans when Sasuke figures out the kind of grip he likes, so Sasuke keeps going with it. Naruto probably lasts about a minute longer than Sasuke did before he spills over them, barely managing not to get any on the sheets.

“Condoms,” Sasuke growls.

Naruto nods and stands up. He finds his jeans and fishes his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulls out two small square packets with the word “lubricated” printed on both and tosses one to Sasuke.

“Save it,” Naruto suggests, even though Sasuke is already half-hard again.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at him but doesn’t open the package yet. Naruto crawls onto the bed once more and kisses Sasuke again, sweetly, gently. Sasuke responds with a contented hum. Naruto rakes his hand through Sasuke’s hair and tugs lightly, drawing a moan from him. Naruto smiles and kisses Sasuke’s neck gently before suddenly biting down lightly enough not to break the skin, but hard enough to bruise, and Sasuke _moans_. This time it’s deeper, more primordial than anything Naruto has gotten out of him so far, and Naruto relishes in the wave of heat it sends south for him.

Naruto keeps Sasuke pinned down by kneeling over him, even as he opens the condom package and starts to roll the thing onto Sasuke’s (admittedly slightly larger than average) erection. Naruto feels something slimy and slightly cold press against him and his eyes widen when Sasuke’s index finger pushes into him up to the first knuckle.

“When did you--?” Naruto starts to ask.

Sasuke just gives him that smirk and moves his finger around a little.

“When you were concentrating on the condom,” he says.

Naruto bites his lip when Sasuke adds a second saliva-slicked finger. He moves forward slightly, giving Sasuke a better angle to work at. When Sasuke has three fingers inside him and finds Naruto’s prostate, he groans and closes his eyes blissfully.

“You’re already leaking again,” Sasuke mutters, sounding not quite surprised but also not quite expectant either.

“Can I--?”

Sasuke hums his agreement and withdraws his fingers. He helps Naruto align and gasps when Naruto sinks down. Naruto grimaces, but Sasuke is in ecstasy. When Naruto moves, Sasuke worries he might finish from that slight friction alone, but Naruto drags himself almost all the way off before slamming back down again. Sasuke moans his name and Naruto repeats the motion, making shifts to his angle until he gasps Sasuke’s name, throwing his head back and freezing momentarily. Then he starts moving again and Sasuke briefly wonders if Naruto is an angel. He quickly dismisses that theory though, remembering the grim determination in the man’s eyes on that fateful night when they made their attack on Orochimaru.

Sasuke finishes first, unsurprisingly, but Naruto just sits on his lap and unceremoniously strokes himself to completion while Sasuke comes down from his high.

Once Naruto recovers too, Sasuke sits up and kisses him, Naruto’s mess covering both of them. Sasuke is shaking slightly and tired, but after a few moments in the kiss, Sasuke feels Naruto getting hard again.

“You’re a monster,” Sasuke breathes against Naruto’s lips.

Naruto just laughs breathlessly.

After a moment of deliberation, Sasuke gives in to what he wants to suggest, despite his dignity.

“You can fuck me.”

For a moment, Naruto just stares at him. When comprehension dawns, it’s like someone just told Naruto Christmas came early.

He wastes no time kissing Sasuke again, running his fingers down his body, tasting his skin, exploring every scar marring Sasuke’s otherwise perfect pale flesh. He leaves bites occasionally, always careful not to break skin but hard enough to make Sasuke moan. Meanwhile, he has Sasuke suck on three of his fingers.

When Naruto finishes, both of them are left shaking and exhausted. Naruto pulls out and ties the condom, tossing it across the room and into the garbage before collapsing onto the bed beside Sasuke, who is panting for breath.

“That was… the most amazing sex I’ve ever had,” Sasuke admits.

Naruto chuckles his agreement. After a few minutes, Sasuke gets up and heads to the bathroom for a shower. Naruto follows him, grinning mischievously.

They finally end up lying in bed, curled up facing each other, legs tangled together and noses almost touching, sharing breaths. Naruto drifts off to sleep first and Sasuke silently watches him until he follows.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, here it is, the big finale for _Gold_. Coming next Saturday: _Bronze_!

It is Saturday. Naruto and Sasuke are eating lunch with Naruto’s friends, out on the southern Quad because the sun is out, but there is still enough of a breeze to make the day comfortable.

Sasuke receives a call and give Naruto a serious look before he answers it.

“Sai. What is it?” Sasuke asks, answering.

Naruto stiffens and looks at him, smile falling.

“What?!” Sasuke hisses, drawing the attention of the others.

He turns his head away slightly as he listens to the rest of what Sai has to say.

“Understood. Thank you,” Sasuke replies when Sai finishes his report.

Sasuke hangs up and asks Naruto to talk with him in private for a moment. They get up and walk away until the group can’t hear them.

“Sai?” Naruto asks.

“I had him keeping tabs on the Uchiha compound in case anyone found it,” Sasuke answers.

“And they did,” Naruto correctly assumes.

“Yes,” Sasuke replies. “The detectives who caught Madara, they… They found my home. I can’t go back there. I’ve been living in an apartment in Tokyo the last couple of years, but I still have a lot of stuff back at the compound.”

“Hey, it’s going to be alright, dattebayo,” Naruto assures him, taking his shoulders and looking him in the eye, his eyebrows furrowed together. “You can get some new blades just in case, and it’s not like you left anything that could trace to you there, did you?”

“No, Uzumaki, of course not,” Sasuke replies, glaring at him like he just insulted Sasuke’s intelligence.

Naruto sighs, obviously relieved.

“Then it’s fine, right? After all, we’re dead. They won’t go searching the world for somebody who died almost three years ago,” Naruto says.

Sasuke looks away and agrees. Naruto leads him back over to their friends and Kiba asks them what’s wrong. Naruto laughs and tells them it’s nothing. Sasuke notices the way Naruto’s shoulders don’t relax until he goes to sleep in Sasuke’s arms that night.

~+~+~+~+~

They snap awake when the door opens. Naruto draws a gun from under his pillow and sits up, pointing it at the intruder. He freezes when he realizes there are five red lasers pointed at himself and the two other figures in the room. A woman turns on the lights and Sasuke sits up beside Naruto. Kiba winces and starts to ask what the big idea is, before yelping and leaping back when he sees the five black-clad figures in the doorway.

The woman steps forward and takes off her helmet, showing her pink hair. Naruto puts his hands up at her order. Sasuke and Kiba follow.

“Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Long time, no see,” Sakura greets.

“Wait, who?” Kiba asks, looking at his roommate and his roommate’s boyfriend.

“I’d say it’s nice to see you, but I think we’d need about five less guns,” Naruto replies solemnly.

Sakura smiles.

“Put the pistol on the floor,” she orders, pointing with her rifle.

Naruto obliges slowly.

“Naruto, what the hell is going on?” Kiba asks.

“Relax, Kiba, they aren’t here for you,” Naruto replies, not looking at his friend. To Sakura, he asks, “Are you here to arrest us?”

“Actually, no,” Sakura replies, lowering her rifle.

The squad behind her follows her example. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba lower their hands.

“We need your help with something,” she says.

“What could the U.S. government possibly want from us?” Naruto asks, almost sneering. “We quit. We’re not doing anything like that anymore.”

She smiles again.

“All in due time,” she says. “You know, it wasn’t easy to track you down. That stunt you two pulled back in Boston really had me fooled. But once I heard that it was you two who took down Orochimaru, your cover was blown. From then it was just a matter of finding out what aliases you two were hiding under.”

“Naruto, what the hell--?” Kiba starts.

“Kiba Inuzuka, your roommate’s true identity is Naruto Uzumaki, world-class assassin,” Sakura states.

“Former,” Naruto cuts in. “Former assassin.”

Kiba’s eyes widen and he stares at Naruto, whose expression is grim.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Naruto admits. “I kinda hoped I’d get to go through college before you found me, Sakura.”

“I guess we don’t always get what we want,” she replies serenely. “I didn’t expect to find Sasuke Uchiha here too, though. This is perfect. Saves me some trouble.”

“Tch,” Sasuke replies.

“Wait, who? Sasuke, you’re one too?” Kiba asks.

“How do you think we met?” Sasuke retorts.

“We were both on a job,” Naruto tells him. “Orochimaru was our employer. He wanted us to kill each other, so we did. Then we killed him, and we quit. We haven’t hurt anyone since.”

He looks at Sakura while he says it.

“Except you didn’t really do the job, did you?” Sakura asks. “Tell me, whose bodies were those? Did you kill two innocent people for your own selfish stunt?”

“They were already dead,” Naruto answers. “Sasuke called in a favor he had with a mortician.”

“Interesting,” Sakura comments. “So you used body doubles, left your signature weapons and your cellphones, and hightailed it out of the city. Then you found some place to hide out for a while while you plotted Orochimaru’s murder. What did you do when the job was done?”

“We went into hiding,” Naruto tells her. “We retired. Neither of us wanted to do the things we did. Sasuke doesn’t even remember his jobs.”

She looks at Sasuke.

“I only remember Orochimaru,” he admits. “I dissociated every other time.”

“I see. Well. Here’s what we want. A man named Itachi Uchiha is becoming far too dangerous to leave him alone,” Sakura says.

Sasuke startles at the name.

“Aniki,” he murmurs.

Sakura nods to him.

“We need a person who can get the job done, and who is dispensable,” Sakura states.

“And that’s me,” Naruto assumes. “Then why do you need Sasuke?”

“He has valuable knowledge on this man. Not to mention, you two work well as a team,” Sakura tells them.

“What do we get out of this?” Sasuke asks. “Say we hunt down my brother and take him out. Then what?”

“Then both of you will walk free. The Japanese prime minister and United States president have already agreed and signed a contract. We can meet tomorrow to discuss it further,” Sakura says.

Naruto and Sasuke look at each other.

“If we don’t, they’ll likely take us into custody and we will either have the death penalty or life in prison,” Sasuke says quietly. “Itachi killed my parents on a contract from a man named Danzo. I have wanted to go after him for a long time.”

Naruto nods and they turn back to Sakura.

“Fine. We’ll do it. On one condition. Give us until summer break starts. Then we’ll go after Itachi,” Naruto says.

“Good. For the time being, keep everyone around you on a strictly need-to-know basis. Meet me at restaurant 1789 tomorrow evening. Dress up, it’s a nice place.”

With that, she signals for her squad to move out and they leave. Naruto stands up and closes the door behind them. He rests his forehead against the door and swears softly.

Sasuke smirks.

“Looks like I was worried about Sai’s report for nothing,” he says.

Naruto whirls around.

“How can you be calm?! We finally managed to get out of that world and now we’re being sucked back into it! She’s asking you to kill your brother, and even if he did kill your parents, that’s insane! We swore we wouldn’t kill for money ever again. Did that mean nothing to you?!” Naruto asks, his eyes stinging.

Sasuke sighs and gets out of bed. He crosses the room and hugs Naruto, resting his chin on Naruto’s shoulder. Naruto puts one arm around him.

“I’m upset too, but we can’t afford to let emotions get in the way,” Sasuke tells him quietly, so Kiba can’t hear.

Naruto sighs and runs his hand through Sasuke’s hair.

“Yeah, I know,” he replies. “We’ve got two months to stock up on weapons and figure out where he might be hiding. I’ve still got a few guns left. Can you ask Sai to help us out?”

Sasuke hums his assent.

“So you guys really are--?” Kiba trails off.

They break apart and turn to him.

“Kiba, before you freak out, let us explain our pasts to you,” Naruto says.

Kiba gulps. Naruto sits down on the edge of Kiba’s bed and notices the way Kiba scoots back. He sighs.

“I never met my parents. I was put in an orphanage in Seattle as a baby. Twelve years later, a man named Jiraiya adopted me. He was the leader of the mercenary gang now called Akatsuki. He raised me to take over for him, but a man named Nagato killed him when I was 16. From then, I started taking contracts because there’s not a lot of other ways some troublemaker orphan in my position back then could make money. I went through highschool online, and earned a reputation. About three years ago, I was hired to kill Sasuke. I caught up with him at a Gala in Boston. Sakura was there too. Sasuke was contracted to kill me too, but we figured out that a man named Orochimaru was toying with us. Orochimaru was one of the biggest names on the black market. We faked our deaths and ran. Three weeks later, we took out Orochimaru. After that, we took on new identities and got into college so we could finally do what we really wanted to,” Naruto tells him.

“Jeez,” Kiba murmurs.

“I was born into a family of assassins and started taking contracts when I was twelve,” Sasuke states. “Itachi, the man Sakura wants us to kill, is my older brother. He killed my parents in front of me for a man named Danzo. I haven’t seen him since. My uncle Madara was caught about a month ago and almost revealed my continued existence. Naruto and I faked our deaths for a reason. I took out my uncle before he could expose me, and booked a flight here to see Naruto.”

“Madara the serial killer?” Kiba asks, but it sounds like a statement.

Sasuke nods.

“You two are insane,” Kiba tells them, wide-eyed.

“We didn’t have a choice. We would have done anything else if we could have, dattebayo,” Naruto tells him firmly.

“So, what? I’m just supposed to trust you two again? You’re killers, and I can’t--”

“Kiba, you can’t tell anyone,” Naruto says solemnly. “Not Hinata, not even Akamaru. Understood?”

Kiba swallows and nods.

“Good,” Naruto replies, standing up again.

He picks his pistol up from the floor and checks it.

“You had the safety on,” Sasuke notices.

Naruto smiles slightly.

“Guns are always more of an intimidation tactic than a weapon,” he states.

Sasuke smirks back.

“If all she wanted was a contract like that, she didn’t need the midnight entrance or the SWAT team,” Naruto comments.

Sasuke huffs a laugh.

“And I thought _we_ were dramatic,” he jokes.

Naruto grins.

~+~+~+~+~

The next day, Kiba keeps his mouth shut, but he keeps looking at Naruto and Sasuke. They ignore him for the most part, but Shikamaru doesn’t.

“Kiba, what’s up with you? You’re all jittery today,” Shikamaru comments.

“It’s nothing,” Kiba lies, glancing away from the icy glare Sasuke gives him.

“Hm? Well, whatever,” Shikamaru replies, going back to talking with Ino and Choji.

~+~+~+~+~

Sasuke and Naruto get ready that night, putting on suits and arming themselves. Sasuke straps a knife to his thigh, tucking it under his pants. He puts two smaller blades on his suspenders. Naruto puts on his holsters. Kiba watches them, scared and slightly awed.

“Hey Sasuke, this is like the Gala,” Naruto says, grinning.

“Yes, except this time we know who Sakura really is. Not to mention we don’t have to fake our own deaths, use different identities, and book a flight halfway across the world all in 24 hours,” Sasuke replies.

Naruto laughs and finishes tying his bow tie.

Once both of them are ready, Sasuke offers Naruto his arm. Naruto takes it, raising his eyebrows suggestively and saying, “Shall we?”

“I will stab you, Uzumaki,” Sasuke threatens, smirking.

Kiba shivers slightly and the two of them get serious. 

“I have to ask… are you two even my age?” Kiba asks them.

They look at each other, then back at Kiba.

“No. I’m 25,” Naruto says.

“As am I,” Sasuke adds.

Kiba exhales and nods. Then he smiles weakly.

“I guess that explains why you wouldn’t help me get ahold of a fake ID,” he jokes.

Naruto smiles, appreciating the attempt.

“Good bye, Kiba. We’ll be back later,” he says.

They leave. They walk to the restaurant and are seated with Sakura, who is already looking at a menu. They pick up the other two menus at each of their seats. Naruto sits on her right, Sasuke across from her.

“So, you came after all,” she comments, not looking at them.

“Yeah,” Naruto replies calmly.

She is wearing a red dress tonight and has her hair pulled back in a bun, but her bangs are still down to frame her face.

“You look nice,” Naruto comments.

“Thank you. So do you,” she replies, finally setting her menu down and looking at each of them individually.

A waiter comes over and pours them each a glass of water. He asks then what they would like to drink. Sakura says she is fine with water, but Naruto orders a tap beer and Sasuke asks for a glass of red wine.

The server nods and walks away.

“On duty?” Naruto asks Sakura.

She nods.

The waiter returns with a small amount of red wine in a glass. He offers it to Sasuke, who tests it and approves it. The waiter leaves again.

“Are you sure you want to sign the contract?” Sakura asks them.

They glance at each other.

“Yes. I have wanted to go after my brother ever since he killed our parents,” Sasuke admits.

“I see,” Sakura replies.

The waiter comes back with Naruto and Sasuke's drinks and takes their orders. When he leaves again, Sakura continues. She pulls a folder out of her bag and slides it across the table. Sasuke opens it. She offers him a pen. He reads through the contract, turning the page when he needs to. After a few minutes, he nods, satisfied, and signs his name on the line below the line that already has the Japanese prime minister's signature. He passes the folder and the pen to Naruto.

“It basically says everything she told us last night. We track down and kill Itachi, they guarantee our lifelong freedom as long as neither of us kills on a contract again. We have a year to complete this contract, or else they take us into custody to stand trial. We can use any weapons and gear approved by our respective countries leaders,” Sasuke summarizes for him.

Naruto nods and takes the pen, signing his name beside Sasuke’s, under the United States president’s.

He closes the folder and hands it back to Sakura, who smiles slightly and tucks it back into her bag with the pen.

“Smart choice,” she tells them. “Now, eat as much as you want. Your meals are paid for by the U.S. government.”

They thank her.

At the end of the meal, Sakura gives them two watches. She tells them they are tracking devices, and that both have powerful explosive devices that will detonate if they try to remove them before the contract ends. The contract states that they have to wear them, so they put them on. Sakura assures them they can be deactivated, but only through a specific procedure that she can’t tell them. They look like ordinary gold watches to the naked eye.

~+~+~+~+~

Sasuke flies back to Japan at the end of the week. He finishes off his first trimester of college and flies back to America. Naruto picks him up at the airport, already finished with his second year of school and ready for the operation. He has an apartment off-campus now, and they go to it to touch up their planning. Sakura has assured them a helicopter to anywhere they need to go. Sasuke has managed to locate his brother through Naruto’s old connections with Akatsuki, which Itachi is now a member of. Naruto and Sasuke fly to Seattle, where Akatsuki’s base is. They set up in a hotel room and prepare for the operation. They know Itachi is going to eat at a restaurant, and their hotel room is directly across from it. They set up a sniper rifle on the windowsill and wait.

“Naruto, let me pull the trigger,” Sasuke requests, expression unreadable.

Naruto hesitantly gives up his seat.

At 8:34, Itachi leaves the restaurant casually. Sasuke shoots him seconds before he gets into his car. Itachi falls and the two assassins move out. They leave through the back alley and walk down the streets until they reach the van arranged for them. They climb in with their gear and it drives away. The van takes them to a parking lot where the helicopter Sakura is waiting in is starting up. She waves them inside and slams the door shut behind them. The helicopter takes off and they start flying. Sasuke and Naruto make eye contact, both of them slightly short of breath.

“No more,” Naruto says solemnly.

“No more,” Sasuke agrees.

Sasuke watches them curiously.

“Good job, you two. We let you do it your way, despite certain… resistance, but it worked out. Given the information you both gathered, you probably would have been killed with the plan my people suggested,” Sakura says.

“Which is why we refused to do it your way,” Sasuke replies, taking off his gloves.

“Now we’re free, right?” Naruto asks. “No more lying or hiding, we can be ourselves and nobody can arrest us, dattebayo.”

“Yes,” Sakura answers, still getting used to Naruto’s verbal tic. “You are both under the protection of the Japanese and American governments, as long as you remain peaceful the rest of your lives. Those watches have been deactivated, so you can take them off if you want.”

Sasuke and Naruto do. They hand the watches back to her and she puts them in a special case.

“We’ll land at the base in five minutes. Both of you have flights booked to your respective hometowns. Good luck with the rest of your lives, and hopefully we won’t meet again,” Sakura tells them with a smile.

They nods politely and thank her. Each of them shakes her hand after they land. They turn towards each other one last time before they board the planes waiting for them.

“I’ll miss you,” Naruto admits. “Come visit again.”

“Yeah, I will. And next time we can tell your friends who we really are,” Sasuke replies with a smirk.

Naruto laughs.

“I don’t think they’ll really get it, dattebayo. I hope Kiba starts warming up to me again, though,” he says.

Sasuke leans in and kisses him. Naruto hums and melts into the kiss. Off to the side Sakura watches them, the corner of her mouth tilting up as she holds back a smile.

“Hey boys, I totally like the whole Bonny-and-Clyde thing,” she calls.

A soldier wolf-whistles and the two of them break apart, smiling softly.

“Stay in touch,” Naruto murmurs.

Sasuke hums and nods slightly, pecking Naruto on the lips again. They grab their bags and head their separate ways. At least for now.


End file.
